💥Thanks for watching!! 💥 Items shown in video 🚴 Rad E bikes bit.ly/3lbsaGM 👍 Basket amzn.to/3AQ8bp7 🍔Blackstone griddle amzn.to/2U29aC2 💙Subscribe - th-cam.com/users/ireneironfitness 💻 Website - ireneironfitness.com 💵 Store - www.amazon.com/shop/ireneironfitness 👫 ABOUT US➡ Hello! We are Aaron and Chris, a fulltime RV couple that lives and works in our Airstream Interstate Sprinter Van. We run an online fitness and nutrition coaching business (Irene Iron Fitness) while traveling all around the country. Follow along the journey with us! 🚐Read our Story: ireneironfitness.com/quitting-our-jobs-traveling-the-country/ 💪Shop Online Coaching Packages: ireneironfitness.com/online-fitness-and-nutrition-coaching-packages/ 🍎Browse IIF Healthy Recipes: ireneironfitness.com/healthyrecipes/ 🚌Airstream Ambassadors: www.airstream.com/blog/aaron-and-christine/ 💎IIF AFFILIATES: These are programs and products we use, love, and recommend! 👉Amazon: www.amazon.com/shop/ireneironfitness 👉Rad Power Bikes bit.ly/3lbsaGM 👉Battle Born Batteries battlebornbatteries.com?afmc=2n 👉Undersun Resistance Bands: bit.ly/2RiP41C 💰 "IreneIron" for 10% off all kits, bundles,etc 👉Lebert Fitness: lebertfitness.com/?ref=IreneIronFitness 👉Thousand Trails: mbsy.co/DLw8W 💰 Save $100 👉Harvest Hosts: harvesthosts.refr.cc/ireneiron 💰 Save 15% "HHFRIENDS15" 👉MontKush:www.montkush.com/shop/ 💰 Use discount code "IreneIron" for 30% off 💎SOCIAL MEDIA 🎥TH-cam (Subscribe!): th-cam.com/users/ireneironfitness 💻Website: ireneironfitness.com 📸Instagram: instagram.com/ireneironfitness/ 💙Facebook: facebook.com/ireneironfitness/ 🍁Pinterest: pin.it/cdyalputqukcq4
Concerning you hiccups….I get rid of them by taking a bite of food without water. This massages the muscles in the esophagus. I keep crackers around for that or a spoonful of sugar. Talk to you doctor. You may have developed an allergy.
My husband and I have to share.....there were times in this video you made us both chuckle. You’re both so young...enjoy your adventure.... when our kids were young, we would pack everything we needed to camp for a couple of nights in our canoe....that included our tent, clothes, cooking items, cleaning items, food, water, ice, sleeping bags and of course our 2 kids and us....so much fun! Remember to enjoy the journey!
I had to login to youtube just so I could like this video, subscribe, and leave a comment. Your casual "have supper with us and chat a bit" segment was such a great change from the general norm of projected voices, scripted ad-libs, and re-take spontaneity of other channels. The entire video was most enjoyable. Most enjoyable indeed. I'm long past 37 and fighting jalapeno-induced hiccups but it was great to see the honesty and bemusement of the struggle recorded and preserved. :-)
Love it, thank you for watching and for taking the extra time to leave a great comment. We are just recording our travels/lives as we go and we appreciate you following along! 😃
Love Elkmont. Camp there ever year. Site B10 a few years back. We try different sites, on the other side, over the bridge . The bears are laid back in the Smokies. However, never let your guard down. Keep a clean site no matter where you are. HAPPY CAMPING....summer time family and kids. Don't be in a hurry or go in the off season. Everyone else wants to see and be there too.
--We carry our teardrop to Cades Cove a couple of times per year to ride our bikes. We LOVE it! Going this upcoming Wednesday to bike ride it again, as a matter of fact. Sadly having to leave the teardrop at home because all that they had available was ONE tent site. So truck camping it is! I have been amazed at the number of eBikes that we have seen while riding the Cove! --A little tip, a GREAT place to set up and film the sunrise is the little pull off where a van was sitting at about 17:57 in your video. it is facing east. It is out of the way enough that you can just sit back and relax. I have a video on my channel where we did exactly that. --Anti-inflamatories give me the hiccups like that. Doctor says that it s an allergic reaction. IDK. ---Enjoying the videos. Cool to see some areas that we frequent. Glad that I recently found your channel.
You definitely have to come back to bike Cades Cove on Wednesday in summer. It is the best! We did it on our ebikes three times the last time on the last Wednesday we were there. We also rode out at midnight to catch the Milky Way! It's awesome to be out there with hardly anyone around.
Had a condo in pigeon forge, just down from cases cove. It great to be at the cove at first light, drive the loop and then switch and bike the same loop. By then, your done and it didn't take all day. There are several plans on how to see the cove. Cars are a given, but bikes opens it up a bit. Also about 1/4 way in, there is a "shortcut" road/trail unpaved that shortens the full loop by a bit. Worth the shortcut? I don't know. Maybe. If you don't take that shortcut trail, 1/2 through there is "point of interest" of pioneer housing, wells, gift shop and a parking area. It's poor planning that once one starts down the loop, there is no turning back. You most definitely are committed at that point.
Interesting video! Enjoy watching you spend more time outside. We had the same frustrating experience a couple years ago w all the people on the loop🤨 However, the trail wasn’t closed, so that part was great! We hiked just before dusk so only saw 1 other person on the trail. Chris, that was hilarious watching you w the hiccups! 🤣 Thanks for the laughs!
Really like this campsite 🏕 reminds me of camping in Muskoka Ontario. Great tips on gear and tent camping. I’ll admit when you said you were going to live in a tent until your trailer was ready I thought you had lost your minds. But you guys have really made it work! Gotta love those raisin bears 🐻! 😂 😂
Great Video, nice choice of tunes! We were at the Smokey's back in March of this year, not much traffic then. Looks like your working the details out on the new rig. A place for everything and everything in its place. Safe and happy travels
E-Bikes are like going downhill all day if you play it right! I done all that you show but during the week, an E- Bike in the Smokey’s would rock, in the Fall, during the week! LoL 👍 nice Vlog.
Bike Ride Cades Cove at daybreak or before, priceless, even full moon nights! 17 hills, 11 miles, 1hour ish depending how well you do the hills. :) Closed to cars dusk to dawn & all day Wednesday's. Bikes & hikers/walkers are allowed anytime. :)
We received our Rad City bikes 3 weeks ago and have been riding every morning before the heat. We have 170 miles so far. I can totally relate to the “perma smile while riding” Best purchase ever! Enjoy your travels!
Just when you dial in all the tent life procedures and life is a breeze, you will move back into that RV you are waiting on....I ride a Goldwing trike and have a pull behind camper (not full time) with all the other stuff stuffed into the camper when I move. Know what you are going through moving stuff around and finding stuff in containers....it's the life we live!! :)
Very true! We hope to built a habit and love for the tent camping and continue taking trips even when we get the RV. There's just something about it! Thanks for watching Mike!
FYI I live not far for Cades Cove. Also, there is a short cut where you can get out of the cove quicker. Get a map. From the Cables Mill you can turn to the right and go to the Whitehead cabin and on to the Parson's Branch Road. (It has been closed for repairs. It i8s a privative road and only one way and comes out on the US129 which is called the Dragon. Famous world wide to motorcycles. My ancestors were mainly from Cades Cove. Glad you had fun and your video is awesome. BTW the Black Bear in the Smokies are experts at opening car and truck doors. I drive a Jeep Wrangler but use my hard top. Come back and God Bless.
Back in the 1970’s when I was my clueless 20’s, we visited there and I had my first encounter with black beats on the roads. I decided to get a close-up picture of them, and was chased back to the car. Somewhere someone has a photo of me on top of my 1970 Chevelle.
Another fantastic video!! And I'm loving that you are sharing what you are doing for meals!! I also buy blocks of cheese instead of packaged shredded cheese. I never thought about just slicing it instead of shredding it. Genius hack!! 😊 Thanks
you are in the height of tourism season in the smokies....ive been there a few times now, and October is the best, but it is still crowded but not as much as the summer. Cades Cove is a 9:00 AM drive thru to get the least amount of traffic!
Great video!! Having a RTT ourselves, it definitely forces you to be outside more, which is awesome!! My wife and I invested in some Hammocks a few weeks ago, definitely a plus for outdoor living!!
Traffic on the Cades Cove loop can be just as bad, or worse, on an autumn weekday. My wife and I discovered that the hard way on our honeymoon in October 2020.
If you are camping in national parks, on TH-cam search that campground and look for "campground photos". Also on recreation.gov, it will have a photo of each campsite so you can decide if it works for you.
Good morning ☀️, Found your channel, I’ll start out with, great choice of truck... haha! Ordered my 2022 Ford F-350 Tremor 1 month ago, went with 7.3 gas. I am full timing with a F150 / Four Wheel Camper & towing a 21’ cargo trailer. When you are outside much of time, it is so valuable to have a canopy tent, mine is like a 8’x8’. That way if it is drizzling or raining you can still be comfortable outside around the picnic table. Good idea with the E-bikes! Can get around while parked. Ride/camp on!
You can shorten an 11 mi loop, to an 8 mi or a 4 mi ride. (Either take Hyatt Lane or Sparks Rd witch cuts off these extra miles). Both connect only between the Loop road at two different points.
I am a local. Timing is everything in the Smokies! When you first pulled up to the “loop”…I was screaming in my mind “use the bikes! Use the bikes now”. ( you can park just at the beginning and return to leave with the bikes) We are thrilled to have you visit our area! Plz Come back again after October and before Memorial Day. We have many warm days with fewer tourists. Oh, and The Burg is just a nice place to get some pizza at “Best Italian Restaurant “ and then leave…there are shortcuts around that too. As to the bears, we had one steal food from us in broad daylight outside our hotel by the river.
😂 That's too funny! You could almost see the light bulb go off in our heads when we thought about parking and getting the bikes out! Thanks for the pizza tip.... we saw many people eating pizza and were craving it!
Cade’s Cove is on our bucket list. Have heard traffic there is horrible and biking can be a royal pain with all of the traffic. We agree all of the crowds/people in the National Park is no fun. Wednesday would definitely be our target day because we too would like to bike the loop even though we don’t have any fancy e-bikes. 😀
When I watched this, TH-cam inserted a Blackstone ad! Maybe there’s potential for sponsorship?😎 It’s been many years, but we tent camped in Elkmont. Cades Cove was a traffic jam even back in the 1980’s! Glad you got to experience it on the bikes!
I usually get hiccups when I'm so hungry I eat too fast. Try swallowing air (I know it sounds weird) to get rid of them. I don't know if it's the fact that to actually swallow the air you have to hold your breath for a while or what but it works for me.
Hey guys...just wanted to drop you a comment. My wife and I are pretty new to RV'ing and have enjoyed watching your TH-cam channel! Hope you guys enjoyed TN. We live here! Happy camping!
A couple of hydraulic bottle jacks might be a quick and easy way to level the truck. Just use the jack to lift the frame the few inches needed to level.
I have done that loop on a motorcycle a few times,,,early in the morning before the heat kicks in. Only issue I have on those slow rides is the fumes from the vehicles ahead of us....Am sure you had the same issue.
The Bears got very numerous there since they had the wildfires a couple years ago. I have seen more since the fires than I did in the 25 years before them that I have been going there.
Smoky Mountain NP has a great festival in the spring called the Wildflower Pilgrimage. Lots of great educational hikes led by rangers, professors, and other experts in history, ecology, and wildlife. It’s a lot of fun.
Good call to deploy the bikes! Aaron- bearspray? Chris- going to try the Tajin! I get the feeling you guys are counting the days until you get your trailer (basecamp)!
Very enjoyable. Brought back memories of our Cades Cove tent camping trip. Way back then, it was not as busy. I rode my “regular” bike while my friend, who came with us, jogged the loop. It was great! Scenery is fabulous! I would think staying 3-4 nights in one spot would be more relaxing. A lot of set up and take down going on there. But then, availability might be the issue. Capsaicin is probably the hiccup culprit. You might try a Magnesium antacid prior to eating to see if that calms your spasm. Otherwise, enjoy that delicious looking meal. Love, love our ebike rides now. Our best purchase in Oct 2019! We have over 2400 miles on them now. Slowed down this summer…if it is not raining, it is very humid and hot.
It definitely would be more relaxing in one spot, but since we have to pack up the tent to drive (similar to our van) and we wanted to see the whole park we did it this way. And your right availability was tough as we booked only one week in advance! The next spot we did we parked for 3 days and it was much more relaxing only taking the ebikes out!!
I knew you'd get stuck in traffic around that Cades Cove! Been there done that :o) Although we only stopped for a hike and never biked it before, look like it was fun.
Loved the clip especially see our van briefly! Your hiccups are your allergic reaction to some food or spice you are eating. I get hiccups from intense use of garlic. A friend reporter wrote a story about my hiccups. It was quite funny! Thanks, Tom
The only bear I have ever seen was there 25 yrs ago. I was cooking bacon over an open fire! The bear walked up and smelled it and walked over to another campsite and knocked over their giant cooler and grabbed lunchmeat and ran into the woods.
Great video. You are smart to do Cades Cove early. Even earlier (by 6am) is a better idea. If you are heading north into VA, you must check out the Virginia Creeper Trail. It would be perfect for your bikes. Most people get a shuttle to the top of the mountain and bike down, but you could go both ways!
The “keto friendly” lifestyle (low carbs, high fiber) probably makes the most sense for the most people most of the time. I lost 25 lbs over 6 months with little sacrifice in food satisfaction. So I’ll stay on the “keto friendly” diet from here on out. The Xtreme Ole tortillas are a great substitute for bread, but you can still bread if you seek out Aldi’s “Zero Net Carb” bread - 9g of carbs, 9g of fiber, 45 cal per slice.
Hopefully that camping spot after the loop was quiet. Looks too close to the active road for me. Pretty short for an RV site too, but fit your length just fine.
Yes, Cosby was the smallest and our least favorite campsite in the Park, but it wasn't too bad. The road was quite besides a few campers checking in and worked out great for the night. Would have preferred the Cades cove campground for sure and really liked Smokmont and Elkmont!
tacos are the best. fish tacos are my fav.i just found your channel and i also have a rtt mounted on my pick up.i have been thinking of doing what you two are doing and i cant pull the trigger yet.i think that monthly cost would be same or less than renting an apartment or house.i really want to get started so any help you can give would be great thank you enjoying your channel so far
Hey Jay, thanks for watching! Glad to hear you are considering something similar to the full time RV life. If you haven't seen our earlier videos, we went fulltime in Jan of 2019 in a Airstream Sprinter van. One of the easiest ways to start this lifestyle.... although not the cheapest. Here's my advice.... make a plan....stick to it....and set a date. We worked corporate jobs for about 15 years and and about 3/4 of the way through we realized we weren't happy with the traditional life. We had already found the benefits of being debt free, and living below your means but didn't know what we wanted to do. When we found fulltime RV/vanlife, we set a date about 18 months out and we went into hyper mode and saved upwards of 75% of our income for preparation of this lifestyle. We didn't want to run out of money in 6 months and go back to a traditional job/life/ ( Although we knew that was the worst thing that could happen.....what did we have to loose!) So we saved multiple years of income for when we started our own business on the road. Thankfully (through hard work...and some help along the way...) our business took off and we become fully self supported in just one year. We actually run two businesses, Irene Iron Fitness, where Chris is a online fitness & nutrition coach, and I (Aaron) run Irene Iron Travels, which is of course our TH-cam channel and affiliate sales and branding. Now we are waiting for our travel trailer to be built and are enjoying the roof top tent life. I would say expenses for a couple run about $1000 per month on the very cheapest minimal lifestyle to about $3000 per month on a much bigger budget. We try to stick around $2000 per month...... but it while very widely per person! Good luck!
Good afternoon Chris and Aaron! Well….I could have stopped the video at tacos, and still really enjoyed it! But…the spontaneous ebike ride is awesome too. That really solidifies their worthiness. And, I am liking your black stone grill! The folks that camped in our driveway over the 4th used a blackstone and it was awesome! Thank you for sharing it! QUESTION: Do you have to get any extra regulator type devices to run your blackstone grill on the exterior gas hook up on the trailer? Safe travels!
Hey Alan! You actually need to remove the regulator on the Blackstone for most RV setups because they are already regulated and the flow is too low if you double the regulators. Although ORV has a high flow right of the bottle I think, and it that case we will just need one regulator at the grill!
I’ll check out the Serious Ketos. We make our own hummus-dipping chips using low-carb flour tortillas (Walmart, etc). Cut them into 8ths, spray them with coconut or canola oil, then bake for 15 minutes at 425. Guilt free !
The road was very narrow at some points and there is no shoulder to ride your bike on, so at some points you could not pass the cars. It’s fine when the traffic isn’t too bad, but when it backs up there is no safe way to Pass.
You guys look so relaxed and happy 👍🏻. We use our blackstone all the time. My go to is fish fajitas but we also do smash burgers. I’ll try turkey tacos next.
Thanks Rebeca! Hard to beat the Blackstone! We tried smash burgers once but didn't have a sturdy enough spatula to get a good smash! We'll have to try again.
Looked like a great place to ride a bike, however I want to be there on a Wednesday, but still, I would ride whatever day just to have the experience. Please tell me, what kind of bike cover are you using and has it held up against the highway wind? Thank you.
We are using the Pro Tool XL bike cover from Amazon and it holds up pretty good to the wind but did have some of the stitching come loose on the bottom strap.
You need to purchase the cooking lid for your blackstone & you put your pasta 🍝 down skirt it with water every couple of minutes or so put the top on it & it will steam the pasta 🍝…. You can steam other items that way too.
Thank you for the awesome hints for visiting the area! Your exercise and heating habits make you both look great! How long did it take for the turkey tacos to cook on the Blackstone? Thank you for sharing your adventures!!!
Looks like you guys are really adjusting to tent life :) Any updates on your new RV order? Just curious if you still anticipate an August/September delivery date? I keep reading articles on issues with chips and the expense of wood and wonder if it has impacted your delivery time frame. Thanks
We are enjoying it! 😁 We're back home home visiting friends and family for a few weeks now so we're getting alittle break from the tent. Itching to get back traveling though. Our RV model ,22fqs, should be starting production at the end of July. I'll be contacting them next week and ïf they are on schedule we'll be still looking at Aug/Sept. ORV is a smaller manufacturer, so I'm hoping they aren't getting it as bad as some of the others.
Do you use a lock on your bike trailer attached to your tow bar? When you are out biking and you leave the bike rack alone, anyone can take it. Please advise what kind . Thank you
Yes, we do have a locking hitch pin for the bike rack and we lock the bikes to the rack while transporting them. We also ALWAYS lock them and cover them when not using them. Ours came with our bike rack, but it something like this. amzn.to/3icp3Oq
Great video. Seems like it’s all going well and you’re enjoying the outdoors. I’ve noticed you are still using that bug repellent device does it work well and are you only using one of them? Have you any alternative options you’ve tried without the fuel?
Yes, that thermocell works really well for mosquitos only (wish it had other pads for black flies and gnats, etc). The fuel is still half full after 2 years of using it! amzn.to/2U2rPhp We have not found anything else that works as well with the mosquitos.
As healthy a lifestyle as you guys seem to lead, you should try out low-carb high-fiber tortillas …… like Xtreme’s Ole brand. They come in spinach flavor and tomato basil. These things have completely weaned us off of high-carb bread because they taste so yummy and work great as wraps and even for hamburgers.
Thanks, we'll check those out! Although we do not practice a low carb (carbs are not the enemy!) diet.....everything in moderation though! Everyone is different, that's for sure. Thanks!
Love you guys! I Switched to a BlackStone too. Phillis were the first thing I made! I felt like the guy at the county fair…lol. I haven’t found a way to boil water on it. I use a percolator for morning coffee. I thought I could turn the BS on high and set it on top, like a hot plate. It never did boil! :( I’ve switched back to my old Colman 2 burner and cast skillet. Btw is it pronounced Cad-is cove?
💥Thanks for watching!!
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💙Subscribe - th-cam.com/users/ireneironfitness
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👫 ABOUT US➡ Hello! We are Aaron and Chris, a fulltime RV couple that lives and works in our Airstream Interstate Sprinter Van. We run an online fitness and nutrition coaching business (Irene Iron Fitness) while traveling all around the country. Follow along the journey with us!
🚐Read our Story: ireneironfitness.com/quitting-our-jobs-traveling-the-country/
💪Shop Online Coaching Packages: ireneironfitness.com/online-fitness-and-nutrition-coaching-packages/
🍎Browse IIF Healthy Recipes: ireneironfitness.com/healthyrecipes/
🚌Airstream Ambassadors: www.airstream.com/blog/aaron-and-christine/
💎IIF AFFILIATES: These are programs and products we use, love, and recommend!
👉Amazon: www.amazon.com/shop/ireneironfitness
👉Rad Power Bikes bit.ly/3lbsaGM
👉Battle Born Batteries battlebornbatteries.com?afmc=2n
👉Undersun Resistance Bands: bit.ly/2RiP41C 💰 "IreneIron" for 10% off all kits, bundles,etc
👉Lebert Fitness: lebertfitness.com/?ref=IreneIronFitness
👉Thousand Trails: mbsy.co/DLw8W 💰 Save $100
👉Harvest Hosts: harvesthosts.refr.cc/ireneiron 💰 Save 15% "HHFRIENDS15"
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Concerning you hiccups….I get rid of them by taking a bite of food without water. This massages the muscles in the esophagus. I keep crackers around for that or a spoonful of sugar. Talk to you doctor. You may have developed an allergy.
Jalapeños & a pound of broccoli? Tasty & healthy but fart city, on the way to runny caca town for me. 😬💨TMI? Hiccups, a nerve irritation I think?
My husband and I have to share.....there were times in this video you made us both chuckle. You’re both so young...enjoy your adventure....
when our kids were young, we would pack everything we needed to camp for a couple of nights in our canoe....that included our tent, clothes, cooking items, cleaning items, food, water, ice, sleeping bags and of course our 2 kids and us....so much fun!
Remember to enjoy the journey!
I had to login to youtube just so I could like this video, subscribe, and leave a comment. Your casual "have supper with us and chat a bit" segment was such a great change from the general norm of projected voices, scripted ad-libs, and re-take spontaneity of other channels. The entire video was most enjoyable. Most enjoyable indeed. I'm long past 37 and fighting jalapeno-induced hiccups but it was great to see the honesty and bemusement of the struggle recorded and preserved. :-)
Love it, thank you for watching and for taking the extra time to leave a great comment. We are just recording our travels/lives as we go and we appreciate you following along! 😃
Love Elkmont. Camp there ever year. Site B10 a few years back. We try different sites, on the other side, over the bridge . The bears are laid back in the Smokies. However, never let your guard down. Keep a clean site no matter where you are. HAPPY CAMPING....summer time family and kids. Don't be in a hurry or go in the off season. Everyone else wants to see and be there too.
--We carry our teardrop to Cades Cove a couple of times per year to ride our bikes. We LOVE it! Going this upcoming Wednesday to bike ride it again, as a matter of fact. Sadly having to leave the teardrop at home because all that they had available was ONE tent site. So truck camping it is! I have been amazed at the number of eBikes that we have seen while riding the Cove!
--A little tip, a GREAT place to set up and film the sunrise is the little pull off where a van was sitting at about 17:57 in your video. it is facing east. It is out of the way enough that you can just sit back and relax. I have a video on my channel where we did exactly that.
--Anti-inflamatories give me the hiccups like that. Doctor says that it s an allergic reaction. IDK.
---Enjoying the videos. Cool to see some areas that we frequent. Glad that I recently found your channel.
Thanks for the great comment and for watching, appreciate it! Enjoy your your upcoming trip to the park!
You definitely have to come back to bike Cades Cove on Wednesday in summer. It is the best! We did it on our ebikes three times the last time on the last Wednesday we were there. We also rode out at midnight to catch the Milky Way! It's awesome to be out there with hardly anyone around.
And...Another great video
👍👍
I couldn’t stop smiling.
So happy you guys are loving your tippy-top tent.
Take Care
Safe Travels ~
😁😃😊
Thanks JJ! Hope your summer is going well!
Hiccup discussion was funny!
That's a badass tremor, I'll take that over my outback..... Smoky mountains are so beautiful ❤️.
Thanks! The first rtt we saw was on a Suburu in Yellowstone!
We rode our ebikes through Cades Cove on Friday evening. It was Awesome!
Had a condo in pigeon forge, just down from cases cove. It great to be at the cove at first light, drive the loop and then switch and bike the same loop. By then, your done and it didn't take all day. There are several plans on how to see the cove. Cars are a given, but bikes opens it up a bit. Also about 1/4 way in, there is a "shortcut" road/trail unpaved that shortens the full loop by a bit. Worth the shortcut? I don't know. Maybe. If you don't take that shortcut trail, 1/2 through there is "point of interest" of pioneer housing, wells, gift shop and a parking area. It's poor planning that once one starts down the loop, there is no turning back. You most definitely are committed at that point.
Interesting video! Enjoy watching you spend more time outside. We had the same frustrating experience a couple years ago w all the people on the loop🤨 However, the trail wasn’t closed, so that part was great! We hiked just before dusk so only saw 1 other person on the trail. Chris, that was hilarious watching you w the hiccups! 🤣 Thanks for the laughs!
Really like this campsite 🏕 reminds me of camping in Muskoka Ontario. Great tips on gear and tent camping. I’ll admit when you said you were going to live in a tent until your trailer was ready I thought you had lost your minds. But you guys have really made it work!
Gotta love those raisin bears 🐻! 😂 😂
Cades cove is simply one of those special places. We always try to visit when we’re in the area.
Great Video, nice choice of tunes! We were at the Smokey's back in March of this year, not much traffic then. Looks like your working the details out on the new rig. A place for everything and everything in its place. Safe and happy travels
Thanks, you too! It is getting a lot easier!
Next time I'm there I want to go on Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Stopping at Grotto Falls.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful video with me. Enjoyed the scenery and the cooking that look yummy . BS & BK
Thanks for watching Larry! BS & BK!
Love the Great Smoky Mountains! Thanks for taking us along!
E-Bikes are like going downhill all day if you play it right! I done all that you show but during the week, an E-
Bike in the Smokey’s would rock, in the Fall, during the week! LoL 👍 nice Vlog.
I guess you mean the Smokies :)
Philly is awesome on the blackstone. I have a 22” adventure series, and a 17” e-series. Cooked philly on both.
Bike Ride Cades Cove at daybreak or before, priceless, even full moon nights! 17 hills, 11 miles, 1hour ish depending how well you do the hills. :) Closed to cars dusk to dawn & all day Wednesday's. Bikes & hikers/walkers are allowed anytime. :)
We received our Rad City bikes 3 weeks ago and have been riding every morning before the heat. We have 170 miles so far. I can totally relate to the “perma smile while riding” Best purchase ever! Enjoy your travels!
Whoa.... nice! They are soooooo fun in many ways!
Just when you dial in all the tent life procedures and life is a breeze, you will move back into that RV you are waiting on....I ride a Goldwing trike and have a pull behind camper (not full time) with all the other stuff stuffed into the camper when I move. Know what you are going through moving stuff around and finding stuff in containers....it's the life we live!! :)
Very true! We hope to built a habit and love for the tent camping and continue taking trips even when we get the RV. There's just something about it! Thanks for watching Mike!
Just had to stop by and comment on how Irene splashes jalapenos in the cook. Love it! The adventure is entertaining as well. Enjoy.
FYI I live not far for Cades Cove. Also, there is a short cut where you can get out of the cove quicker. Get a map. From the Cables Mill you can turn to the right and go to the Whitehead cabin and on to the Parson's Branch Road. (It has been closed for repairs. It i8s a privative road and only one way and comes out on the US129 which is called the Dragon. Famous world wide to motorcycles. My ancestors were mainly from Cades Cove. Glad you had fun and your video is awesome. BTW the Black Bear in the Smokies are experts at opening car and truck doors. I drive a Jeep Wrangler but use my hard top. Come back and God Bless.
Back in the 1970’s when I was my clueless 20’s, we visited there and I had my first encounter with black beats on the roads. I decided to get a close-up picture of them, and was chased back to the car. Somewhere someone has a photo of me on top of my 1970 Chevelle.
Fun ( & scary) memory! My dad has a 69 Chevelle SS 396......love that car!
Another fantastic video!! And I'm loving that you are sharing what you are doing for meals!! I also buy blocks of cheese instead of packaged shredded cheese. I never thought about just slicing it instead of shredding it. Genius hack!! 😊 Thanks
Fantastic! Love the lifestyle that you two live! So looking forward to your next adventure!
you are in the height of tourism season in the smokies....ive been there a few times now, and October is the best, but it is still crowded but not as much as the summer. Cades Cove is a 9:00 AM drive thru to get the least amount of traffic!
Great video!! Having a RTT ourselves, it definitely forces you to be outside more, which is awesome!! My wife and I invested in some Hammocks a few weeks ago, definitely a plus for outdoor living!!
Beautiful place, yhe hiccup happen to me with broccoli,stay safe
You guys are awesome. The crowds, cars, waiting in lines and generator noise just seems miserable.
Traffic on the Cades Cove loop can be just as bad, or worse, on an autumn weekday. My wife and I discovered that the hard way on our honeymoon in October 2020.
We loved the old cemeteries on the Cade's Cove Loop. Although it’s nice that the national parks are popular it’s too bad they are so crowded.
Just found the channel, liked, commented, subscribed. That area is maybe even more beautiful after a snow storm.
I love cooking on the Blackstone Griddle too, but will take your advice and skip the jalapeños!🤣
If you are camping in national parks, on TH-cam search that campground and look for "campground photos". Also on recreation.gov, it will have a photo of each campsite so you can decide if it works for you.
Good morning ☀️,
Found your channel, I’ll start out with, great choice of truck... haha! Ordered my 2022 Ford F-350 Tremor 1 month ago, went with 7.3 gas. I am full timing with a F150 / Four Wheel Camper & towing a 21’ cargo trailer.
When you are outside much of time, it is so valuable to have a canopy tent, mine is like a 8’x8’. That way if it is drizzling or raining you can still be comfortable outside around the picnic table.
Good idea with the E-bikes! Can get around while parked.
Ride/camp on!
The best thing about hiking or biking Cades Cove is going in the camp store and getting an ice cream.
You can shorten an 11 mi loop, to an 8 mi or a 4 mi ride. (Either take Hyatt Lane or Sparks Rd witch cuts off these extra miles). Both connect only between the Loop road at two different points.
I am a local. Timing is everything in the Smokies! When you first pulled up to the “loop”…I was screaming in my mind “use the bikes! Use the bikes now”. ( you can park just at the beginning and return to leave with the bikes) We are thrilled to have you visit our area! Plz Come back again after October and before Memorial Day. We have many warm days with fewer tourists. Oh, and The Burg is just a nice place to get some pizza at “Best Italian Restaurant “ and then leave…there are shortcuts around that too. As to the bears, we had one steal food from us in broad daylight outside our hotel by the river.
😂 That's too funny! You could almost see the light bulb go off in our heads when we thought about parking and getting the bikes out! Thanks for the pizza tip.... we saw many people eating pizza and were craving it!
Next time be sure to get ice cream at the Camp store!!! Glad you enjoyed it!! We love Cades Cove!!!
Cade’s Cove is on our bucket list. Have heard traffic there is horrible and biking can be a royal pain with all of the traffic. We agree all of the crowds/people in the National Park is no fun. Wednesday would definitely be our target day because we too would like to bike the loop even though we don’t have any fancy e-bikes. 😀
Definitely a must do! I think we'll be back and try to stay in the campground for a couple days!
When I watched this, TH-cam inserted a Blackstone ad! Maybe there’s potential for sponsorship?😎 It’s been many years, but we tent camped in Elkmont. Cades Cove was a traffic jam even back in the 1980’s! Glad you got to experience it on the bikes!
I usually get hiccups when I'm so hungry I eat too fast. Try swallowing air (I know it sounds weird) to get rid of them. I don't know if it's the fact that to actually swallow the air you have to hold your breath for a while or what but it works for me.
Hey guys...just wanted to drop you a comment. My wife and I are pretty new to RV'ing and have enjoyed watching your TH-cam channel! Hope you guys enjoyed TN. We live here! Happy camping!
Hello 👋 Thanks for watching and we appreciate you dropping the comment! We did enjoy the park alot. Hope you guys are enjoying RVing so far!
A couple of hydraulic bottle jacks might be a quick and easy way to level the truck. Just use the jack to lift the frame the few inches needed to level.
I have done that loop on a motorcycle a few times,,,early in the morning before the heat kicks in. Only issue I have on those slow rides is the fumes from the vehicles ahead of us....Am sure you had the same issue.
Yes, the fumes were horrible towards the end of our bike ride when the traffic built up!
The Bears got very numerous there since they had the wildfires a couple years ago. I have seen more since the fires than I did in the 25 years before them that I have been going there.
Jeez Loueez, I love you guys! Thank you for sharing all your tips with us. 🙌🏽😄
☺ Thank you for watching!!
Your explanation of the benefits of ebikes was spot on. I love mine (a Himiway Cruiser - similar to yoiur Rads). This was one of your best videos!
😁 thank you Rob!
we have the same Blackstone and the 22" version for home. Nothing beats a Blackstone and love it!
How many times did you use it before it stopped sticking?
About a good week or 7 times.
You could set the pot on the grill and boil pasta?
That could work! But we haven't tried it yet!
We got engaged 32 years ago on our bikes at Cades Cove. Our kids rode it and we still do that. Now with ebikes
Fun!
Smoky Mountain NP has a great festival in the spring called the Wildflower Pilgrimage. Lots of great educational hikes led by rangers, professors, and other experts in history, ecology, and wildlife. It’s a lot of fun.
Nice, sounds fun!!
Good call to deploy the bikes! Aaron- bearspray? Chris- going to try the Tajin! I get the feeling you guys are counting the days until you get your trailer (basecamp)!
Yes, we always had the bear spray handy with us on this trip! Bring on the new RV!😂
Very enjoyable. Brought back memories of our Cades Cove tent camping trip. Way back then, it was not as busy. I rode my “regular” bike while my friend, who came with us, jogged the loop. It was great! Scenery is fabulous! I would think staying 3-4 nights in one spot would be more relaxing. A lot of set up and take down going on there. But then, availability might be the issue. Capsaicin is probably the hiccup culprit. You might try a Magnesium antacid prior to eating to see if that calms your spasm. Otherwise, enjoy that delicious looking meal. Love, love our ebike rides now. Our best purchase in Oct 2019! We have over 2400 miles on them now. Slowed down this summer…if it is not raining, it is very humid and hot.
It definitely would be more relaxing in one spot, but since we have to pack up the tent to drive (similar to our van) and we wanted to see the whole park we did it this way. And your right availability was tough as we booked only one week in advance! The next spot we did we parked for 3 days and it was much more relaxing only taking the ebikes out!!
I knew you'd get stuck in traffic around that Cades Cove! Been there done that :o) Although we only stopped for a hike and never biked it before, look like it was fun.
Try drinking milk when you down something spicy and sometimes taking a gas X chewable or maybe even a chewable tums tab would stop the hiccups.
Chris please come to the SW ;-)
Thanks for sharing your new experiences, Looking forward to see you guys sharing your State of Minnesota .
Thanks! Us too!
Loved the clip especially see our van briefly! Your hiccups are your allergic reaction to some food or spice you are eating. I get hiccups from intense use of garlic. A friend reporter wrote a story about my hiccups. It was quite funny! Thanks, Tom
It was nice to stop and chat with you guys! Keep enjoying that van and thanks as always for watching!😁
oooh boy that food looks good
The only bear I have ever seen was there 25 yrs ago. I was cooking bacon over an open fire! The bear walked up and smelled it and walked over to another campsite and knocked over their giant cooler and grabbed lunchmeat and ran into the woods.
Great video. You are smart to do Cades Cove early. Even earlier (by 6am) is a better idea. If you are heading north into VA, you must check out the Virginia Creeper Trail. It would be perfect for your bikes. Most people get a shuttle to the top of the mountain and bike down, but you could go both ways!
Very true! Thanks we pinned the Virginia Creeper trail for when we visit next!
The “keto friendly” lifestyle (low carbs, high fiber) probably makes the most sense for the most people most of the time. I lost 25 lbs over 6 months with little sacrifice in food satisfaction. So I’ll stay on the “keto friendly” diet from here on out. The Xtreme Ole tortillas are a great substitute for bread, but you can still bread if you seek out Aldi’s “Zero Net Carb” bread - 9g of carbs, 9g of fiber, 45 cal per slice.
I love the spatula Aaron uses with the Blackstone! Where did you find it? Brian would love one.
We got that at Walmart for 5 bucks!!
Would you please let me know what bike cover you two have on the bikes when hauling them around. Thanks!
We used this one amzn.to/44yfaAI 👍
What is a side by side ? Glad you are enjoying the tent.
They are the smaller 4 wheel offroad vehicles. They call them side by sides because you sit next to each other. 2 seaters and 4 seaters. Thanks!
Hopefully that camping spot after the loop was quiet. Looks too close to the active road for me. Pretty short for an RV site too, but fit your length just fine.
Yes, Cosby was the smallest and our least favorite campsite in the Park, but it wasn't too bad. The road was quite besides a few campers checking in and worked out great for the night. Would have preferred the Cades cove campground for sure and really liked Smokmont and Elkmont!
I always really enjoy the video when you guys are driving.....good music choices as well......
Thanks 👍 Appreciate you watching!
Haha. I am excited to head to 'flavour town'.
tacos are the best. fish tacos are my fav.i just found your channel and i also have a rtt mounted on my pick up.i have been thinking of doing what you two are doing and i cant pull the trigger yet.i think that monthly cost would be same or less than renting an apartment or house.i really want to get started so any help you can give would be great thank you enjoying your channel so far
Hey Jay, thanks for watching! Glad to hear you are considering something similar to the full time RV life. If you haven't seen our earlier videos, we went fulltime in Jan of 2019 in a Airstream Sprinter van. One of the easiest ways to start this lifestyle.... although not the cheapest. Here's my advice.... make a plan....stick to it....and set a date. We worked corporate jobs for about 15 years and and about 3/4 of the way through we realized we weren't happy with the traditional life. We had already found the benefits of being debt free, and living below your means but didn't know what we wanted to do. When we found fulltime RV/vanlife, we set a date about 18 months out and we went into hyper mode and saved upwards of 75% of our income for preparation of this lifestyle. We didn't want to run out of money in 6 months and go back to a traditional job/life/ ( Although we knew that was the worst thing that could happen.....what did we have to loose!) So we saved multiple years of income for when we started our own business on the road. Thankfully (through hard work...and some help along the way...) our business took off and we become fully self supported in just one year. We actually run two businesses, Irene Iron Fitness, where Chris is a online fitness & nutrition coach, and I (Aaron) run Irene Iron Travels, which is of course our TH-cam channel and affiliate sales and branding. Now we are waiting for our travel trailer to be built and are enjoying the roof top tent life. I would say expenses for a couple run about $1000 per month on the very cheapest minimal lifestyle to about $3000 per month on a much bigger budget. We try to stick around $2000 per month...... but it while very widely per person! Good luck!
thank you very much for the info
Good afternoon Chris and Aaron! Well….I could have stopped the video at tacos, and still really enjoyed it! But…the spontaneous ebike ride is awesome too. That really solidifies their worthiness.
And, I am liking your black stone grill! The folks that camped in our driveway over the 4th used a blackstone and it was awesome! Thank you for sharing it!
QUESTION: Do you have to get any extra regulator type devices to run your blackstone grill on the exterior gas hook up on the trailer?
Safe travels!
Hey Alan! You actually need to remove the regulator on the Blackstone for most RV setups because they are already regulated and the flow is too low if you double the regulators. Although ORV has a high flow right of the bottle I think, and it that case we will just need one regulator at the grill!
I’ll check out the Serious Ketos. We make our own hummus-dipping chips using low-carb flour tortillas (Walmart, etc). Cut them into 8ths, spray them with coconut or canola oil, then bake for 15 minutes at 425. Guilt free !
We love our Blackstone. Nice video. Love those Duratrac tires.
Right on! The BS just works well! Thanks for watching!!
If you had been only on your bikes, do you feel like you could have just safely passed the cars on your bikes, and seen the sights at your own pace?
The road was very narrow at some points and there is no shoulder to ride your bike on, so at some points you could not pass the cars. It’s fine when the traffic isn’t too bad, but when it backs up there is no safe way to Pass.
You guys look so relaxed and happy 👍🏻. We use our blackstone all the time. My go to is fish fajitas but we also do smash burgers. I’ll try turkey tacos next.
Thanks Rebeca! Hard to beat the Blackstone! We tried smash burgers once but didn't have a sturdy enough spatula to get a good smash! We'll have to try again.
Cute, very cute. Take care
I'll stick to peddling 🚲 👍nice truck tent ⛺👌
Looked like a great place to ride a bike, however I want to be there on a Wednesday, but still, I would ride whatever day just to have the experience. Please tell me, what kind of bike cover are you using and has it held up against the highway wind? Thank you.
We are using the Pro Tool XL bike cover from Amazon and it holds up pretty good to the wind but did have some of the stitching come loose on the bottom strap.
You need to purchase the cooking lid for your blackstone & you put your pasta 🍝 down skirt it with water every couple of minutes or so put the top on it & it will steam the pasta 🍝…. You can steam other items that way too.
Great idea!!
Thank you for the awesome hints for visiting the area! Your exercise and heating habits make you both look great! How long did it take for the turkey tacos to cook on the Blackstone? Thank you for sharing your adventures!!!
Thanks Joyce! That meal came together pretty quick in about 15 minutes!
@@IreneIronTravels Thank you!
My friend is a park ranger in Cades Cove.
We love Elkmont.
I know it would dirty a pot, but you can put a pot of water on the Blackstone and boil it
Yeah, we haven't tried that yet, but your probably right it would boil water!
did you guys walk over and checkout Daisy town when you were at Elkmont?
We didn't. I just googled it though now and wish we would have!
Looks like you guys are really adjusting to tent life :) Any updates on your new RV order? Just curious if you still anticipate an August/September delivery date? I keep reading articles on issues with chips and the expense of wood and wonder if it has impacted your delivery time frame. Thanks
We are enjoying it! 😁 We're back home home visiting friends and family for a few weeks now so we're getting alittle break from the tent. Itching to get back traveling though. Our RV model ,22fqs, should be starting production at the end of July. I'll be contacting them next week and ïf they are on schedule we'll be still looking at Aug/Sept. ORV is a smaller manufacturer, so I'm hoping they aren't getting it as bad as some of the others.
Do you use a lock on your bike trailer attached to your tow bar? When you are out biking and you leave the bike rack alone, anyone can take it. Please advise what kind .
Thank you
Yes, we do have a locking hitch pin for the bike rack and we lock the bikes to the rack while transporting them. We also ALWAYS lock them and cover them when not using them. Ours came with our bike rack, but it something like this. amzn.to/3icp3Oq
Hey Irene. Great video. What is that thing on the Coleman bottle? Mosquito repellent?
Hey there! Yes, it is a thermocell mosquito repellent...works great! and last FOR EVER! amzn.to/2U2rPhp
@@IreneIronTravels thanks. And I apologize as I thought your name was Irene. Where did you get it from?
No worries.. we get that alot!🤣 Irene is Chris's middle name, gma, and great gmas name. So we named our businesses after it!
@@IreneIronTravels gotcha. Where did you get the thermocell?
We got it from Amazon. amzn.to/2U2rPhp
Great video. Seems like it’s all going well and you’re enjoying the outdoors. I’ve noticed you are still using that bug repellent device does it work well and are you only using one of them? Have you any alternative options you’ve tried without the fuel?
Yes, that thermocell works really well for mosquitos only (wish it had other pads for black flies and gnats, etc). The fuel is still half full after 2 years of using it! amzn.to/2U2rPhp We have not found anything else that works as well with the mosquitos.
Doesn't the aroma of your cooking attract the Yogi and the bear clan? Pedro.
Maybe! We didn't see any in the campground... but they were everywhere in the park!
Do the bikes recharge when you're going downhill?
No, these do not have the regenerative braking.
Get that trailer. You guys deserve it
Thanks! We should find out in the next couple weeks if it is on schedule for August/Sept!
Would u mind sharing the link of your bikes cover? Thanks
Sure thing! amzn.to/3ATLr7G Thanks!
Sorry to bother u again wich one u guys r using? Xlarge or xxlarge? I got 2 radrunner plus and the same rack as urs
Thanks
No worries... we have the xl 2 bike cover. It's a tight fit, but works great!
I love you guys! Safe Travels!
😃👋 Thanks!
As healthy a lifestyle as you guys seem to lead, you should try out low-carb high-fiber tortillas …… like Xtreme’s Ole brand. They come in spinach flavor and tomato basil. These things have completely weaned us off of high-carb bread because they taste so yummy and work great as wraps and even for hamburgers.
Thanks, we'll check those out! Although we do not practice a low carb (carbs are not the enemy!) diet.....everything in moderation though! Everyone is different, that's for sure. Thanks!
Tajin is for beer!
Love you guys! I Switched to a BlackStone too. Phillis were the first thing I made! I felt like the guy at the county fair…lol. I haven’t found a way to boil water on it. I use a percolator for morning coffee. I thought I could turn the BS on high and set it on top, like a hot plate. It never did boil! :( I’ve switched back to my old Colman 2 burner and cast skillet.
Btw is it pronounced Cad-is cove?
I thought it was just me, getting hiccoughs when I ate jalapenos. I didn't know it was a thing..lol..